A heroin addict who was overheard by an off-duty garda on the Luas, discussing a robbery he had just carried out with two other men, has been sentenced to 2½ years in prison.
James Farrelly (21), St Anthony's Road, Rialto, Dublin, was later stopped by gardaí and handed over a samurai sword he had been hiding in his jeans.
The three men who robbed the pharmacy on La Touche Road, Bluebell, were all armed with swords when they got away with €400 and assortment of prescription drugs.
Farrelly, who acted as the getaway driver and lookout, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the robbery on April 14th, 2005.
One of his co-accused was jailed for three years by Judge Katherine Delahunt last July. A third man has yet to be sentenced.
Judge Delahunt accepted that although Farrelly played a lesser role in the offence, he drove his accomplices there, they were all armed with swords and it was a very traumatic robbery.
She accepted that he had made impressive steps to rehabilitate and get off drugs and she suspended the last 12 months of the sentence on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for three years upon his release from prison.
Garda Liam Ellison told Damien Colgan, prosecuting, that an off-duty garda heard the raiders discussing the robbery and he got off at the Luas stop that he thought they were also getting off at. They remained on the Luas to Fatima Mansions but the garda rang in their descriptions to a nearby Garda station which led to their arrest in Rialto later.
Farrelly admitted he was asked to drive to the robbery and to act as lookout. He said he was given the sword on the way to the pharmacy.